


Floccinaucinihiliphilification

by aykayem



Series: Fifty-two words [12]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-04-15
Updated: 2014-04-15
Packaged: 2018-01-19 11:31:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,020
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1467898
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aykayem/pseuds/aykayem
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Theo's not jealous. He's just annoyed that Draco's enjoying himself with someone who isn't him.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Floccinaucinihiliphilification

  
_floccinaucinihilipilification_  
(n.) the act of deciding that something is useless

It was pointless. Absolutely useless. There was no reason for Theo to even _think_ about it now, because it was never ever going to happen. He'd missed his shot somehow. He didn't even know how. It was like he was doing all right, and then he blinked, and suddenly Draco's affections had swung far to the other end of the spectrum. Astoria Greengrass. Who knew that such a horrible afternoon tea would go so swimmingly for the blond?

Theo wasn't jealous, though. He refused to call it that. Yes, he was lamenting that Draco actually seemed to like the girl his parents were nudging him towards, but he still wasn't going to admit to jealousy. It was unbecoming, and furthermore, felt as though he was actually acknowledging that he had feelings for his best friend. That was out of the question, even if he already knew that it was true. He would rather keep it to himself.

Which meant, of course, quietly seething in the privacy of his own home.

He was in half a mind to send an owl off to Draco, bitching about this, that, or the other thing, but he knew full well that the blond would see through it all. He was astute when he wanted to be, and any time it involved him tended to be a time he wanted to be. Of course, Draco had somehow missed all of Theo's slightly longing stares during school when no one else had, but maybe he just liked all the attention.

Actually, he definitely liked all the attention. Theo had been a guaranteed audience almost the entire time, and with Draco, that meant he was automatically moving up the ranks of who mattered most. He could still brag about being his best friend, after all, and that didn't look like it was going to change any time soon. Well, Theo hoped, at least.

Still, if things went particularly well with Astoria, who knew what kind of turn things might take. Maybe Theo would suddenly be out a good friend, abandoned because of Draco's tendency to only be able to focus on one thing at a time. (A bit laughable, maybe, but a possibility.) Or perhaps Theo would be forced to go along on double dates with Daphne. (Even more laughable; Daphne wouldn't put up with him, and Theo would make an arse of himself remarking upon things no one wanted remarks made upon.)

The fact of the matter was that things were changing, despite neither of them liking change all that much, and fighting it was pointless. Not a fact he was ready to really accept, but one he would have to. Eventually. Sometime next week, perhaps. Or maybe a year from now. Hell, maybe at Draco's wedding. Sooner or later though, he was just going to have to stop wringing his hands and deal with it. Maybe it wouldn't be too bad.

Theo was snapped out of his thoughts by a loud crack next to him, a house-elf appearing out of nothingness only to stare at him with a combination of hope and wariness in large, watery eyes.

"What?" He asked, staring down at the thing.

"Master Nott, sir, is having a guest downstairs."

"You're kidding me. Who?"

"Master Malfoy, sir."

"Draco or Lucius?"

The house-elf blinked watery eyes, apparently not knowing the difference between the two. Theo just rolled his eyes. "Skinny with short hair, or old with long hair?"

"The skinny Master Malfoy!" The elf declared, tensing suddenly as though afraid that she might get beaten for the remark.

"All right. Thanks," he answered deftly, flicking one wrist to dismiss her. She nodded, bowing deeply enough to nearly hit her head on the floor, and Disapparated with a loud crack, leaving Theo alone once again to sigh. As always, Draco had astounding timing.

It was but moments before Theo was down at the down, where Draco had already shed his light jacket and tossed it aside, making himself comfortable on one of the lower stairs as he waited, sprawling out to show off exactly how long his legs were. It was completely unnecessary unless one wanted to show himself off, and it was pretty obvious that that was exactly what Draco wanted.

He glanced up when Theo came down, offering a faint smile before tipping his head to one side. "Are you avoiding me?"

"What? No," Theo scoffed, rolling his eyes in an exaggerated fashion. "Why would I avoid you?"

"Astoria?"

Once again, Theo just scoffed, flapping one hand as though to dismiss the entire conversation.

It was Draco's turn to roll his eyes. " _Please_."

"All right, I might be avoiding you a little. I figured you'd come by eventually to come figure out whether or not I was. And hey - here you are."

"You had a lot of faith in that."

"You can't resist me, Draco," Theo drawled, his tone almost a purr.

"You're crap at seducing people," Draco chuckled, tipping his chin up to look at his best friend a little better. Theo dropped to sit a couple stairs above, leaning in so there wasn't much space left between them.

"I've managed it before, haven't I?"

"I don't know that I'd go _that_ far."

"How far _would_ you go?"

"I'm here, aren't I?"

Theo smirked a little, shrugging one shoulder. "All right, Malfoy," he started, tone a bit more detached. As though he didn't care, as though it didn't matter as much as it did. "Just tell me one thing: is it even worth the effort?"

Draco draped himself back against the railing, his legs sprawled against the stair where he sat, chin tipping up a little more. "Once again. I'm here, aren't I?"

"Not an answer."

The blond merely paused, a faint smirk creeping up along his mouth. "Well, it's not like Tori and I are actually official or anything. It was tea."

"Barely an answer."

"But?"

Theo sniffed, vaguely annoyed that Draco could read him like a book. There had been no 'but' there, and yet-

"But I'll take it."


End file.
